COUNCILLORS in Porthmadog are to officially invite a national broadcaster to set up shop in the town - a move which would bring a clutch of new jobs to south Gwynedd if successful.

Last month, the Herald reported that Gwynedd Council leader Dyfed Edwards had welcomed moves by S4C which is thinking about relocating from its Cardiff base - with Gwynedd and Carmarthen mooted as potential locations for the Welsh language broadcaster.

During Tuesday night’s town council meeting, members decided to write to the broadcaster inviting it to explore options in the Porthmadog area.

Cllr Alwyn Gruffydd pointed to the example of Irish language broadcaster TG4, who are based in Connemara which is in the Irish Gaeltacht - an area largely in the west of Ireland where the Irish language is protected and promoted, similar to Y Fro Gymraeg in Wales.

He said: “The economy here in south Gwynedd has been suffering for many years and this would surely provide a welcome shot in the arm.

“I would welcome S4C anywhere in Gwynedd but I would not be fulfilling my duties as a representative of the people if I did not call for S4C to move to the Porthmadog area. We must remember that we still have one of the highest concentrations of Welsh speakers in the world.

“To be honest, it begs the question why S4C are in Cardiff in the first place, far away from the main communities it serves. We are already struggling to keep our talented young people in the area as it is.

“We’ve lost many industries in and around the town in recent years and the economy really is being starved at the moment. I would love S4C to come here.”

Cllr Selwyn Griffiths added: “This would be a tremendous opportunity for the area. I propose we write to S4C and offer the invitation as well as enrolling the support of our MP and AM.”

Cllr Gwyn Davies said: “At the moment everything is geared towards tourism which just offers low paid jobs and attracts more incomers into the area. Basically, we can’t survive on that industry alone.

“I warmly welcome this proposal which would go a long way towards keeping our youngsters in the area.”

Members decided to write to S4C, Gwynedd Council and their political representatives offering their full support to attracting S4C into the area.